If you ask whether students at Bible Colleges use AI, the answer is a firm yes from across the spectrum. Chris Mulherin, who teaches part-time at a college in Melbourne, says the basic rule is “they must declare it.”
He predicts that AI will help students with first drafts and research. “That means we will grade people more for original ideas and analysis. We may go back to oral exams too, which cannot be helped by AI!”
AI is a reality, so colleges have established guidelines. Here’s what rules about using tools like Chat GBT and Grammarly look like.
• AI-generated text can’t be copied into an assignment, not even in quotes, or even if referenced. this means that an AI-generated first draft must be reworked.
• Students need to be careful when using Grammarly, which is becoming increasingly popular. While using its spell check and grammar correction level is permitted, using its ability to suggest improvements in tone or persuasiveness is not. The Other Cheek just accepted a Grammarly change of wording to that sentence. One college would want the student to put the original version of the sentence in a footnote. And then put quote marks around the Grammarly version in their text.
Turnitin, software that searches for plagiarism, now also detects AI, even simple grammatical changes. So, it seems that any use of AI in the final text needs to be declared.
Students using Google Translate, maybe because English is not their first language, will have to declare their use of it with quotemarks and a footnote. It, too, shows up in Turnitin.
These rules suggest that AI is readily detectable by markers. The Other Cheek does not know whether this is an act of faith by the rule makers or not. it is probably not worth the risk.
Christians talk AI
Two significant events in March will explore AI and Christianity.
ISCAST, Which promotes Science and christianity to be in conversation, and Scots Church melbourne are presenting a panel discussion AI x Christianity: Gospel Wisdom for an AI World, on the 16th of March.It will explore
- The future of AI and its disruptive potential
- The good and bad of AI, and what it means for humans
- How the Bible can shape our view of an AI world
- How to approach AI with godly wisdom and the challenges that come with it
In Sydney Moore Colleges Centre for Christian living is holding a seminar on March 13 led by Akos Balogh, who heads the colleges External Engagement team. He is a fomer Chief Executive Officer of The Gospel Coalition Australia where he ran a large website.
Image Credit: Geo Tech / Flickr